Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (PDI)

Food: around $150 per month Telephone: SMS, calls and 3G = $45 per month Housing off campus: $550 Nightlife: in frat parties, you pay NOTHING Travel: $300 per week-end Cheap accommodations far away the city center ($50 per night just for a room), bike for transportation in the city rather than subway, walk in the city rather than paying the museum, cheap restaurants ... To travel you can use the bus for NYC ($25 one way) or rent a car for any other destinations ($100 per day if you are under 25)

I found food to be less expensive here than home, that is the main reason for spending less on that. The telephone system in the US is a pain. The fact that you have to pay even though somebody is calling you is enoying and stupid. Drinks are cheaper here than home. It is more expensive to travel in Australia and I feel that it is more to see there than in the US.

Well, there was hardly any nightlife, and traveling was more expensive because I did it more than I did back home. For the rest I didn't call that much. Housing was more expensive because I rented an appartment with 2 other guys, which was still much cheaper than on-campus living.

The overall standard of living here is greater than back home. Though I did manage to cut back on a few things I normally do to balance it out.

A lot of stuff is cheaper here, but as you are here only once and you do not know when will you come back, you try to do as much things as you can, and that represents a lot of money.